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xepherys · 09-26-2004, 08:09 AM

As usual, I'll butt in with my two cents because some of the comments here aren't quite true to this situation.

"Lowest Bidder" is true for who manufactures items used by the military, but does not usually have anything to do with design. The military designs a lot of it's items (including these uniforms) without regard to cost. Cost comes later (and it's always cheap).

"Comfort" is a major issue with uniforms, and the new ACUs are supposed to be MUCH more comfortable. Yes, they're ugly, yes velcro sucks, but they are supposed to be a ton more comfortable.

"Target patches" are not likely to be an issue. The Army already makes various color schemes for ALL patches. Subdued green (for BDUs), Sand color (for desert cammies), white (for arctic wear), et cetera. I don't see why a color of patches would not be created for wear on these uniforms. They'd be stupid not to (even I don't think they're that lame).

"Blue Camo for AF"... Who cares? As far as I can tell, they DO only work in the air... or on ships far out to sea... or on the ground a thousand miles or more away from combat. This is perhaps not true for about 0.03% of the air force. *shrug* That'd be like the Navy wanting green camo to blend into the woods... wtf?!

The velcro is an appearance thing. I think it's dumb, but it's not my design.

The "tried and true" BDUs are not so much as maybe you'd think. They've only been around since the 80's. We've fought in two wars in them. Don't you think WWII uniforms would've been more "tried and true" from that perspective? Oddly enough, this most recent war, and the complaints the Army received from combat units is WHY the uniform is being changes. Currently, pockets are inaccessible with the military's body armor. Buttons on chest pockets and upper chest dig into you while wearing body armor. So, you can be safe OR comfortable. With the new design you can be both. Seems like a fair deal to me.

bermuDa - The computer generated "digital camo" is exactly what the pattern is. If I can find better pictures, I'll link them. It's an almost identical pattern to the USMC with a few minor changes and different colors (no black, most importantly, as black is not a color found almost at all in nature). It's not "faded" but uses lighter colors... Still effective in brush and woodlands, but also more effective in the desert. The main issue is that the USMC still has two styles of uniform. The ACU's will be the ONLY combat uniform for the Army. It will serve in all environments. Hence a slight color mod.

As Parched_son said, that's where rank has been for a long time (just not on the BDU's). The only issue is color. If they don't make rank/patches with appropriate colors, they'll be screwed.

The idea can't really be rejected by the soldiers anymore. The uniforms are already being made, and the first units will start to get them in 3-4 months. They were already tested by at least one elite Army unit over in Iraq, and they HELPED to design the uniform, gave input and molded what it became. Concerns about patches falling or ripping off have been looked into and apparently aren't an issue.

The end result... I can't say I'm a fan of the new uniform for a lot of reasons. Wrinkle-free sounds great, but taking pride and care in the uniform is part of our tradition. Shine-free boots... same thing. I guess we'll just have to see when I put one on. Even if I hate it, I'll have to learn to love it...

09-26-2004, 08:09 AM	#59 (permalink)
xepherys <3 TFP Location: 17TLH2445607250	As usual, I'll butt in with my two cents because some of the comments here aren't quite true to this situation. "Lowest Bidder" is true for who manufactures items used by the military, but does not usually have anything to do with design. The military designs a lot of it's items (including these uniforms) without regard to cost. Cost comes later (and it's always cheap). "Comfort" is a major issue with uniforms, and the new ACUs are supposed to be MUCH more comfortable. Yes, they're ugly, yes velcro sucks, but they are supposed to be a ton more comfortable. "Target patches" are not likely to be an issue. The Army already makes various color schemes for ALL patches. Subdued green (for BDUs), Sand color (for desert cammies), white (for arctic wear), et cetera. I don't see why a color of patches would not be created for wear on these uniforms. They'd be stupid not to (even I don't think they're that lame). "Blue Camo for AF"... Who cares? As far as I can tell, they DO only work in the air... or on ships far out to sea... or on the ground a thousand miles or more away from combat. This is perhaps not true for about 0.03% of the air force. shrug That'd be like the Navy wanting green camo to blend into the woods... wtf?! The velcro is an appearance thing. I think it's dumb, but it's not my design. The "tried and true" BDUs are not so much as maybe you'd think. They've only been around since the 80's. We've fought in two wars in them. Don't you think WWII uniforms would've been more "tried and true" from that perspective? Oddly enough, this most recent war, and the complaints the Army received from combat units is WHY the uniform is being changes. Currently, pockets are inaccessible with the military's body armor. Buttons on chest pockets and upper chest dig into you while wearing body armor. So, you can be safe OR comfortable. With the new design you can be both. Seems like a fair deal to me. bermuDa - The computer generated "digital camo" is exactly what the pattern is. If I can find better pictures, I'll link them. It's an almost identical pattern to the USMC with a few minor changes and different colors (no black, most importantly, as black is not a color found almost at all in nature). It's not "faded" but uses lighter colors... Still effective in brush and woodlands, but also more effective in the desert. The main issue is that the USMC still has two styles of uniform. The ACU's will be the ONLY combat uniform for the Army. It will serve in all environments. Hence a slight color mod. As Parched_son said, that's where rank has been for a long time (just not on the BDU's). The only issue is color. If they don't make rank/patches with appropriate colors, they'll be screwed. The idea can't really be rejected by the soldiers anymore. The uniforms are already being made, and the first units will start to get them in 3-4 months. They were already tested by at least one elite Army unit over in Iraq, and they HELPED to design the uniform, gave input and molded what it became. Concerns about patches falling or ripping off have been looked into and apparently aren't an issue. The end result... I can't say I'm a fan of the new uniform for a lot of reasons. Wrinkle-free sounds great, but taking pride and care in the uniform is part of our tradition. Shine-free boots... same thing. I guess we'll just have to see when I put one on. Even if I hate it, I'll have to learn to love it...